New Publication: Exploring the Potential and Limitations of Seeded Amplification for AD and PD Biomarkers
We are pleased to share our latest research paper, “Analysis of Single Particles of Amyloid Beta and α-Synuclein with Seeded Amplification for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease”, now available in Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry.
Our investigation centered on whether seeded amplification methodologies can enhance the detection sensitivity of amyloid-beta (Aß) and α-synuclein aggregates, which are closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).
One of the most intriguing conclusions from this work helps explain a long-standing challenge in the field: why robust Aß seeding assays have remained so difficult to establish. While α-synuclein seed amplification assays are now routinely used, comparable approaches for Aß have proven much more challenging. Our findings suggest that the intrinsic self-aggregation properties of Aß may be an important reason for this disparity.
At the same time, the successful amplification of amplified α-synuclein seeds using our proprietary sFIDA (Surface-based Fluorescence Intensity Distribution Analysis) technology further supports the biological principles underlying seed amplification approaches. It also clearly demonstrates how effectively this strategy can be combined with advanced single-particle detection technologies.
This project was made possible through outstanding teamwork. We extend our deepest gratitude to Alexandra Dybala and Erdem Gültekin Tamgüney, our collaborators at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and Prof. Detlev Riesner for supporting Alexandra’s doctoral research, as well as everyone else who contributed to this work.